Combined support and receptacle for books and the like



Dec. 9, 1958 I M. HEGARTY 2,863,256

COMBINED SUPPORT AND RECEPTACLE FOR BOOKS AND THE LIKE Filed March 8,1957 2 Sheets-Shet' 1 l n venlor Mar/e #566 157) A Home y M. HEGARTYDec. 9, 1958 COMBINED SUPPORT AND RECEPTACLE FOR BOOKS AND THE LIKEFiled March 8, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A tlorney United States Patent OCOMBINED SUPPORT AND RECEPTACLE FOR BOOKS AND THE LIKE Marie Hegarty,Sidmonton, Bray, Ireland Application March 8, 1957, Serial No. 644,852 3Claims. (Cl. 45-59) This invention relates to a book-rest for attachmentto the body of a person, and while the invention is primarily intendedfor use by hospital patients, it is to be understood that the book-restaccording to the invention may advantageously be used by any personwhen, for instance, seated during travelling in a conveyance or wheneverthe holding of the book in hands may prove to be inconvenient. It isalso to be understood that while the device according to the inventionis described as a book-rest, it may be used conveniently as a desksupport for the writing of letters or the like.

It is an object of the invention to provide at low manufacturing cost abook-rest for attachment to the body of a person in such manner that thebook-rest will support a book in a convenient position for reading,thereby eliminating the necessity for the person to carry the book inthe hands, and leaving the hands of the person entirely free. It will beappreciated that such a device provides considerable comfort to hospitalpatients when reading.

The invention will be more clearly understood from the followingdescription of an embodiment selected for illustration in theaccompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the book-rest in the position of use asworn by a hospital patient in bed.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the book-rest without the straps, thefolded over position of the right hand half of the book-rest being shownin broken lines.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the supporting ledge.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the strap harness.

Referring to the drawings, the book-rest may be made of any suitablematerial, such as wood or metal, but is preferably moulded of adecorative plastic material such as that known under the name Perspex"(trademark). The book-rest comprises a flat panel consisting of twohalves 1 and 2 hinged at 3 so as to pivot about the center line 4, thehalves 1 and 2 having upstanding side portions 5, 6, 7 and 8 so that ashallow compact box is formed when one of the halves is folded over theother half. This is shown in Fig. 2 in which the right-hand half 2 isfolded over the half 1 into the position shown in broken lines. In thisposition of non-use, a strap harness 9, a detachable ledge 10 and a bookmay be stored in the interior of the shallow box which is sufficientlycompact to be carried in a ladys handbag or the like.

Each of the halves 1 and 2 is provided with a row of parallel anchorageslots 11, the spacing between the two rows being equal to the spacingbetween a pair of screw-eyes 12 screwed into the rear side of thesupporting ledge 10 which may also be of the same material as that ofthe book-rest halves. The supporting ledge 10 may therefore bemaintained in a number of different positions on the front surfaces ofhalves 1 and 2 by inserting the eyes 12 in any desired aligned pair ofanchorage slots 11 and turning the screw eyes 12 through 90. Thesupporting ledge 10 is preferably provided with a pair of book pageretaining prongs 13 which may be screwed into the front surface of theice ledge 10 and when the book-rest is in use may occupy a vertical bookpage retaining position or a horizontal inoperative position.

The bottom edges of halves 1 and 2 are contoured as indicated in Fig. 2,so that when the two halves 1 and 2 are in the position of use,thebottoni edge of the bookrest has an arcuate concave shape forengagement with the lower portion of the users chest. This arcuateportion may be covered or padded with a suitable material or lining 14such as rubber or the like.

The sides 5 of the two halves 1 and 2 are provided with a plurality ofdownwardly inclined anchorage slots 15, any opposite pair of which maybe engaged by any pair of a plurality of button type studs 16 carried bythe free ends of a strap harness 9 (Fig. 4). This strap harness 9 in itssimplest form comprises two straps of flexible material connected by atransverse strap 17. In use, the strap harness is passed over theshoulders so that the transverse strap 17 rests on the back of the user,one pair of studs 16 of each of the two longer straps being removablyreceived in a selected pair of slots 15 one near the top and the othernear the bottom of the book-rest. Preferably the ends of straps comingfrom underneath the shoulder of the user are attached to the top portionof the sides 5 of the book-rest, and the other ends of straps comingfrom over the users shoulder are attached to the bottom portion of thesides 5. The provision of a plurality of slots 15 and button studs 16permits of a number of adjustments in the use of the book-rest asregards the angle of inclination of the book-rest and'the focal distancefor convenient reading. The selective positioning of the eyes 12 ofledge 10 in the slots 11 also allows ample adjustment depending on thesize of the book being read and its most convenient position on thebook-rest for reading. The prongs 13 serve to maintain the pages of thebook in open position. The transverse strap 17 prevents lateraldisplacement of the strap harness 9 off the users shoulders. b

Other means for adjustably positioning the ledge 10 on the book-rest maybe adopted and, obviously, the adjustable attachment of the free ends ofthe strap harness 9 to the sides 5 of the book-rest may be effected inmany different ways. For instance, the free ends of the straps ofharness 9 may carry clips receivable in longitudinal slots provided ineach side 5, each slot communicating with a plurality of engagementnotches for the clips. Furthermore, the sides 5 may be provided with arow of perforations any opposite pair of which may selectively receivespring-hooks or similar detachable fastening devices secured to the freeends of the straps of harness 9. In addition, the length of the strapsof harness 9 may be adjustable in the manner of gentlemens trousersuspenders.

It will be appreciated that apart from its primary r purpose as abook-rest, the device may be employed as a writing desk by hospitalpatients in bed by adjusting the ledge 10 to occupy its uppermostposition by in serting the eyes 12 in the top pair of slots 1. Bysuitable attachment of the straps of harness 9, the inclination of thebook-rest and its distance from the person may be adjusted within a widerange.

What I claim is:

1. A book rest attachable to the body of a person comprising, incombination, a pair of similar substantially rectangular rigid panels;side Walls connected to each of said panels and defining therewith apair of shallow trays; hinge means for pivotally connecting two adjacentside walls of said panels in such a manner that said panels may be movedin a first position in a common plane and in a second position in whichsaid panels are spaced from each other with said side wallstherebetween, whereby said panels and said side walls define a closedreceptacle; a book supporting ledge; means for for removably connectingsaid harness to said book rest.

2. The combination according to claim 1, wherein each of said panels hasa plurality of elongated apertures disposed in a row parallel with saidadjacent side walls, and said means for detachably connecting said ledgeto said book rest comprises a pair of retaining members rotatablyattached to said ledge, said retaining members being insertable into oneof said apertures in each of .said panels in one position and lockinglyengaging said .panels when turned with respect to said ledge.

3. The combination according to claim 1, wherein the side walls whichare parallel with said adjacent side walls have a plurality of inclinedopen slots, and

said means for removably connecting said harness to said book restcomprises a plurality of button type studs on said harness and eachreceivable in one of said open slots.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS234,460 Daugherty Nov. 16, 1880 346,547 Holt Aug. 3, 1886 622,640Shimoneck Apr. 4, 1899 632,384 Welch Sept. 5, 1899 643,164 Schnell Feb.13, 1900 730,774 Kingsbury June 9, 1903 1,232,089 Riebe July 3, 19171,542,163 Morde June 16, 1925 1,593,166 Flach July 20, 1926 2,014,176Henderson Sept. 10, 1935 2,563,671 Basinger Aug. 7, 1951

